John Wesley
A Way You'll Never Be

John Wesley could be described as a famous song-singer or sing-songer, or something like that. He has been heard with Porcupine Tree and is said to draw inspiration from them as well as Rush and Pink Floyd. And according to Wesley himself he worked hard to bring together the acoustic singer-songwriter aspect with the more heavy electric guitars of hard rock for this album that is his eighth, something he claims to have succeeded with – I claim that he is in error as far as that statement is regarded. But I may be in error considering all the high ratings around the web for this album, so maybe I have missed something.

I know that it is sort of progressive rock music, or not really that progressive. More like modern classic rock with some elements of fusion, jazz, progressive and some other small influences. Well produced and well performed with songs that feels kind of anonymous. But the album has some variation and plays for 57 minutes, something that feels like a very long playing time for this album – perhaps because it has nothing to catch the attention of me as a listener.

Some reviewer claimed that the opening track reminded him of Porcupine Tree’s Blackest Eyes, the tracks that opens In Absentia, and maybe there is some truth to that point even though that track is not anywhere near as good as Blackest Eyes. It is however a good start, I think the problems come after the start when the album sort blend together into a thick soup of sound, good sound but just sound nonetheless. Only the silence in coffee breaks that feeling of an album of a single, pretty monotonous track when I listen to this album. It only has life and variation when I analyse it without really listening to it, it is better when I play it back in my head than when I hear it. Not saying it is bad, just uninteresting.

I think Wesley can read any of the other reviews out there if he wants some ego-boosting because I am not going to stroke his ego, I don’t really like this album. It sounds okay, you can listen to it but it feels kind of hollow and empty, I get gravity eyelids when I hear it. To me it seems as though Wesley should be able to do something a lot more interesting than this, a good sound isn’t enough as you need strong songs as well.

HHHHHHH